Safe and Sound
by xxAlysha
Summary: "Do not worry, I will not let this take you over. I will not allow these shadows to kill your light. There has to be a way, there just has to be."
1. A Brighter Day Is Coming

**Title: **Safe and Sound

**Rating: **T

**Genre: **Action, Drama, Horror, Romance, and Suspense.

**Summary: **All male guardians that have the training needed are being sent to the academy to help. Dimitri has always dreamed of being a guardian, so he is excited to jump at the opportunity. However, that means leaving behind the life he worked hard to obtain. He knows that she will be fine, since she can fight for herself, but some things are stronger than her.

* * *

**I Will Return To You.**

* * *

"_Just keep both of you safe, all right?"_

"_Comrade, everything will be fine. You are only going to be gone for a year at the most. It is not like they are keeping you there forever. I would have to kick someone's ass if they did that."_

_Dimitri gave his small grin to her as he gathered into his arms one last time. The plane's engine started behind him, signaling that he had to wrap up his goodbyes. This was the last one he had to do, but it was the hardest one of them all. Even over his mother and sisters. "There will be no need for that. You are needed here more than anything."_

_Rose rolled her eyes as she planted a soft kiss onto his cheek. "I know, I know." She muttered, burring her head into his chest. She wanted to soak up all of this before he boarded the plane. His sent, the way that his arms felt around her, those were the only things that were going to keep her strong during his trip. Of course, he was needed, just like the rest of the guardians in the world, but Rose did not want to accept it. He was needed here more than she was._

_Sensing that she was not going to be the one to let go first, Dimitri's arms fell from her waist. He backed up a few steps, giving her the chance to realize that it was time for him to leave. "I have to go now, Roza. Keep her safe and do not let her forget me." He muttered, feeling all the unwanted emotions coming up now. "I will be back as soon as they let me go."_

"_And I will be right here, waiting for you." She muttered, looking back at Olena as she held the bundle of blankets. The smile spread on Rose's lips before turning back to watch Dimitri walking off the plane. "We both will be. Just bring yourself back alive and well. I do not want to have to kill you when you get back."_

_Dimitri chuckled at her before waving his hand behind his back at her. He knew that she was just joking, that everything will work out for the best between them, but there was something in those words that stuck with him as he took his seat on the plane. As he looked out at the family that would be waiting at that spot for him when the plane landed a year from now, he knew that he had a huge responsibility on his shoulders._

_So much could go wrong while he was at the academy, guarding the students there from the Strigoi. His family would be safe in Russia, so he did not have to worry about them._

_Everything would be fine when he got back home._

* * *

"Well, Guardian Belikov, it is the end of the year." Lissa muttered as they made their way to the final class of the day. Her hands here deep in her pockets and her eyes were casted to the ground. She could not bring herself to meet his eyes, knowing that it would be the last time she would see the security that she felt. "Are you going to head back to Russia?"

This moment was going to come at some point, but Dimitri did not want to face it. Lissa Dragomir was the final one in her family, being left alone after her parents and brother were killed in a deadly car crash. Out of the students in the academy, she needed the protection the most, which is the reason they brought him in a year ago. When he was gone, she was going to be assigned to another, higher ranked, guardian.

And they both knew that she did not want that.

"I must, Princess. I was only assigned here for a year and that is up. Your new guardian will be here in the morning, so that is when I will go back to my home."

Lissa bit down on her lip as she approached the classroom door. Taking one look at it, she whipped around to face her guardian once again. "Can I ask you something before we go to class?" She was not one to ask questions, so it sparked Dimitri's curiosity, but he had a pretty good idea of what it was going to be. "It is just a small question."

"Princess, I cannot stay any-"

"That is not what I wanted to ask." She quickly countered, waving her hands slightly in front of her to stop him. She was having some second thoughts about asking him this, but it was going to bug her if she did not get her answer. What was the harm in asking anyway? "All I wanted to ask was… if you did not have a family waiting for you at home, would you stay and be my permanent guardian?"

The question left him speechless. He was not expecting her to ask this. She knew, from the beginning, that she would have to have a better guardian when the year was up. Dimitri was not going to be able to stay with her for the rest of her life and protect her as well as the other guardians. He thought she understood that, but she felt comfortable around him and did not want to lose that.

Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, he leaned down to look her in eye. "Lissa," He muttered, almost never using her first name. "There are plenty of other guardians out there that will be able to keep you safe, I promise. They will do a much better job out in the real world, which is something that I would not be able to do anyways."

"But it took me so long to get use to you!" She whispered, shaking her head while the tears welled on the rims of her eyes. When times got tough, Lissa would work herself up to the point of tears. It was one the many things Dimitri learned about her, but it did not change anything. "I cannot take months to get use to another guardian when I graduate in three months!"

"Lissa, Lissa, please calm down. I will make sure that it is a guardian that you will get alone with just like me." Dimitri promised as he straightened up his posture. He kept his hand on her shoulder, hoping that it would calm her down some before class. "You knew, from the beginning, that I could not stay. I have someone waiting for me in Russia that I promised I would come back."

A small smile formed on Lissa's lips when he mentioned her. "Rose." She muttered. When Dimitri came to the academy and was assigned to be with Lissa, he knew that he had someone that he could talk about Rose with. Lissa was always excited to learn more about her and his life in Russia. She started to write letters to Rose and it did not take long for them to become friends. At this point, they were practically best friends. "She is a good reason to go back, but you also have the little one too. How old is she now, one-year-old? I have not received a letter from Rose in a while, so I do not know."

Dimitri nodded, his mind filling with thoughts of the family. "Yes, she turned one about a month ago." He muttered, mentally shaking his head. There was plenty of time to think about them, but now he had to convince Lissa that everything was going to be fine. "Which is why I need to head back to Russia tonight, but I will make sure that you have all you need."

Before she had a chance to answer, Dimitri opened the door to the classroom, even though class started a little while ago. Lissa took one look into the room and took a deep breath before heading in. She would drop the subject for now, but it was not the end of it.

If Lissa was persistent at one thing, it was getting her way.

* * *

"Princess, this is Guardian Castile." Dimitri motioned towards the young man that was leaning against the wall. While Lissa was in class, he took the opportunity to try to get the one guardian he knew would be a perfect match for the princess. He had to persuade a lot of people, but once they knew that it was for Lissa Dragomir, they automatically agreed to it if it helped her out. "He is the best guardian out there and he will be assigned to you once I am gone. Trust me, I know that you will be safe in his care."

Eddie walked up to Lissa, holding out his hand to her. "It is nice to meet you, Princess. I am honored to guard you when you graduate." He formally said as she shook his hand, but it did not seem to convince Lissa right away. She still had her guarded face on and she was not going to open up to Eddie right away. Dimitri was confident, however, that this would be a good match.

"He is really good friends with Christian. They have been friends ever since kindergarten, so you know that he will protect anyone that is close to him."

Christian was Lissa's boyfriend, much to the academy's disapproval. They were both royal families, but the academy did not want the last Dragomir to be with someone who had both of their parents turned Strigoi. They all thought that he would follow in their footsteps, since his parents did want to take him with them to turn him later on in life, but Lissa knew better. She was able to see the good in him, knowing that he would never follow their example. It was to be proven to the rest of the academy and she was on a mission to make sure everyone knew it.

Lissa's eyes grew with amazement. She turned towards Eddie again, taking a hesitant step towards him at the same time. "Is that true?" She muttered, feeling an instant connection to him now. If he was friends with Christian, then it was going to be easy to get along with him as her guardian. "Have you really known Christian for that long?"

Eddie nodded with enthusiasm at her question. "We have been best friends ever since the first day of kindergarten. I would have been here as a student, but I was sent away to get… better training somewhere else." He explained, casting his eyes down a little bit when another thought crossed his mind. "I haven't even told Christian that I came back yet. There has been no time for it."

"Well, I am on my way to go see him." She exclaimed; her mood changing drastically from earlier. Now, she could not wait to get to know this new guardian, knowing that they had some sort of connection. "You can accompany me to see him. I bet he would be so happy to know that you are back at the academy. He will even love it that you are going to be my guardian."

Without a question, he followed her towards the Moroi dorms. She had forgotten about their discussion before class and that was the goal. Dimitri knew that he had the right idea by setting up Guardian Castile and Lissa. She would be in good hands and there was nothing more to worry about.

The only thing left on Dimitri's list was to head back to Russia.

He turned on his heel and head back to his room, ready to get everything packed and ready to go. The plane was due to leave in four hours, so he only had a limited time to get there and say goodbye to everyone. It did not matter to him, though, not like the last time he said bye to his loved ones.

The academy was a good experience for him and he was leaving with a lot more knowledge than he came in with. They proved to him that he was able to protect someone's life. He would be able to fight off any Strigoi that would come near the people that he cared about and they would not stand a chance against him. It was the best decision he made, coming to the academy, but he was ready to leave.

There was a better life for him back in Russia. It was filled with family and the people that love him dearly. Rose, his Roza, was probably going to be the first face that he saw when he came off the plane. She promised him that she would be there and she was not one to break a promise. It was also promised that the little one would also be there.

Little Elena was now one-year-old and there was so much that Dimitri probably missed. Hopefully, it was still known that he was her father. Rose swore that she would never forget that, even though he was sent away only a month after she was born. She was shown pictures every day of him, making sure that she knew her true family.

And Rose had told him that her first word was "Dada."

He wanted to experience it for himself, however. He wanted to hear her say it and he wanted to just be with the two of them again. As he pushed open the door to his room, he went immediately into packing all of his belongings. There was not much to pack, since he figured he did not need much, so it would not take too long. He would be done within twenty minutes.

As he zipped up the last bag and threw it with the others by the door, Dimitri turned his attention to his cell phone. It was the only connection he had with Rose, so he was paranoid all the time to check it. He flipped it open, seeing nothing new from the last time he checked it. "That is odd." He muttered as he stuffed it into his pocket. "Usually she calls around the same time each week."

A knock on the door snapped him from his thoughts.

"We are here to take you to the airport, Guardian Belikov." Lissa's smiling face was at the door when he opened it. He was actually shocked to see her, knowing that she would be with Christian for the rest of the day. However, when he saw both Eddie and Christian behind her, his shock calmed down some. "We told the other guardians that we would do the honors of dropping you off and they are allowing it since we have Eddie."

"Well, that is nice of you guys."

"Lissa would not let us live it down if we did not see you off." Christian muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. In response, Lissa puffed out her cheeks in annoyance and turned to slap him on the arm. They all knew, though, that Lissa could not hit to save her life, but Christian was one to play along. "Okay, I am sorry. It is an honor to drop you off."

Dimitri rolled his eyes, but the smile would not leave his face. He was happy that he was leaving the academy with great friends. Rose also made a friend and she would be ecstatic to know all about what happened during the year with Lissa. It was nice to leave an impression whenever he went.

"Then we must get moving before it gets to late. I only have three hours left until the plane leaves. And I am sure that Rose will kill me if I missed the flight."

* * *

After a long goodbye, and many tears from Lissa, Dimitri boarded the plane for Russia. He almost could not hold himself back from jumping in his seat like a little kid going to his favorite amusement park. It was just an overall great feeling.

"Just 15 hours until I am back home." He muttered to himself as he pulled the blind up on his window. The vision filled with sky blue and clouds. Dimitri never felt more peaceful at this time. His eyes closed on him as he got himself ready for the flight. Sleep was the best option, able to make this going by a lot faster. "It will not be long now.

As sleep took over, Rose's voice filled his ears as he prepared himself for his arrival.

_I will be here when you get back, don't you worry. Nothing bad is going to happen, so just go and have the time of your life at the academy._

A ghostly smile formed on his lips as the darkness of slumber took over.

_We will both be here when you return._

* * *

My very first Vampire Academy fanfiction. I hope that is good enough.

I know that this is a very boring chapter, but some first chapters are before the story gets good. Just stick with it and I promise you will not be disappointed with it!

Thank you for reading the story and I hope you will want to read the rest of it.

xoxo Alysha


	2. The Shadows Killed Your Light

**Title: **Safe and Sound

**Rating: **T

**Genre: **Action, Drama, Horror, Romance, and Suspense.

**Summary: **All male guardians that have the training needed are being sent to the academy to help. Dimitri has always dreamed of being a guardian, so he is excited to jump at the opportunity. However, that means leaving behind the life he worked hard to obtain. He knows that she will be fine, since she can fight for herself, but some things are stronger than her.

* * *

** The Shadows Killed Your Light**

* * *

"Oh, my Dimka is back."

Olena, of course, was the first one to wrap her arms around Dimitri. It was a mother thing, making sure she was the first one to greet her son. Without hesitation, he returned her hug, eager to receive the love of his mother.

"Hello, mother." He muttered into her shoulder before pulling away from her, but he kept her at arm's length. Even though it has only been a year, it always feels like more when someone is away from family. "It is nice to be back. I hope I did not miss much."

"You didn't, do not worry."

Looking past Olena's shoulder, a younger Belikov stood there. At first, it was hard for Dimitri to recognize her, but it all came into place after a few seconds. Her light brown hair grew down to her waist since the last time that he saw her. She shot up at least another two inches and her body had slimmed down some, all of her baby fat was gone now. The little sister that he once knew looked like a completely new girl.

That was not the only thing that caught his eye when he saw his little sister. In her arms, a little body sat on her hip, looking around at her surroundings in amazement. She had her dark brown hair, a color that matched her mother's perfectly, that was tied into a ponytail that whipped around with every move she made. It was not hard to tell who she was, even if it has been a year.

"Viktoria." He muttered as he passed his mother to approach his sister. He carefully wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying to make sure he did not hurt Elena in the process. "You look like a completely different person. Who knew you could age so much in one year."

She scrunched up her nose at his comment. "Well, for your information, you did miss a birthday of mine. I am now officially sixteen-years-old, so you cannot call me little anymore. Understood?" She said, sarcasm dripping from her words. A smile formed on her lips as soon as she said that though, not able to keep a straight face through anything. She motioned her head towards the toddler in her arms, bringing his attention back to her. "But it is good to see you, Dimka. And someone else is excited to see you too."

Dimitri turned his attention to Elena who, at this point, was reaching her hands out towards him. Her small fingers kept opening and closing in anticipation, wanting to be near her father more than anything else in the world at the moment. He dropped his bag onto the ground and took her in his arms. The smile on her face widened as she let out a small giggle while wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Dada!" She squealed, hugging herself closer to Dimitri.

At that moment, Dimitri could not be happier. "Oh, my little baby girl." He muttered as he held her close. His hand cradled her head as he leaned against her, closing his eyes to bask in the bliss of being with his daughter. With it being a year since the last time he saw her, he did not want this moment to go to waste. It was the only thing keeping him going through the time at the academy. "It is so nice to finally hold you. You do not realize how much I missed you."

"She has been asking for you nonstop ever sinc-"

"Viktoria." Olena sternly said, cutting off her words before she got any farther in her thought. Obviously, she crossed some line that she was told not to, but she was known to do that her own life. "Sonya wants us to come home quickly since she has dinner almost ready. We can discuss that at home, where it will not cause a scene."

Viktoria automatically closed her mouth before stalking off out of the airport. Confused, Dimitri turned to his mother to get answers that he wants. "What was she talking about? What happened while I was gone?" He said, switching Elena to his other hip as she began to fall asleep. Her head fell onto his shoulder and it felt like he never left in the first place. "Speaking of what happened, where is Rose?"

By the look she gave him told that she did not want to talk about it. This was something that bothered Dimitri. The family never kept anything from each other, so it had to be something big. It only made him want to know even more. Especially since it was about Rose, then he needed to know.

"She is working today." His mother explained, sounding a little rehearsed, as she started to make her after Viktoria. She patted her son's shoulder as she passed. "She was called in earlier this morning and was very upset when she could not make it to greet you. I am sure that she sends her love and hopes to see you when she gets back."

Dimitri knew right away that those were not her real words. She never sounded like that when she talked, so he knew that something was going on in his family. They had a secret that they were not telling him and it was revolved around Rose. What was going on? Was she okay? Why wasn't she really here?

"I wonder what they are up to." He muttered to Elena, rubbing small circles on her back as her breathing turned slow as she fell asleep. Grabbing his bag, he slung it over his free shoulder and headed off towards his family. "I will find out sooner or later. Hopefully, nothing bad has happened since the last time that I was here. I just want life to get back to normal."

Being normal, however, might be the farthest thing from the family he left.

* * *

"Look who finally decided to show up. You know, next time you want to go to the academy to train and such, do not do it."

"Well, it is nice to see you too Sonya."

The two siblings embraced like old times. They might not have been the close when they were younger, but they have grown closer with age. Sonya was always one that would be there for Dimitri in the toughest situations. She understood what he was going through, as she went through many of the same problems herself. It surprised the family, but they were content anyway.

Sonya was also the one there when Rose first found out she was pregnant. It was hard for her to tell anyone, as she thought it was going to be a burden on everyone. The trip to the academy was coming up and she just thought that it was not the time to bring a child in the world. However, she did not know how wrong she was.

"It is amazing how easy you can just go back into your normal life as soon as you land here." Sonya muttered, indicating to the sleeping toddler in his arms, before turning to head back into the kitchen. The aroma of her freshly cooked dinner was started to sweep across the room, making Dimitri's mouth water instantly. His feet automatically started to move after her, dropping his bag off onto the couch on his way. "I thought you would still be in guardian mode after a year of it. Was it a good experience for you? I hoped you learned a lot."

"It was the best decision I made. So many of the guardians went out of their way to make sure we all knew all we could." Dimitri answered, sitting at the table with Elena still asleep in his arms. He could not let her go for a moment. "I was assigned to the Dragomir princess, Vasilissa. She is the only one left in her family after a terrible car crash took the rest of her family. They thought that I would be the best one to guard her in the academy."

"We heard about that from Rose. It seems that the two of them became very good friends while writing letters to each other."

Dimitri smiled a little and nodded. "If they were together, they would be the best of friends. I am positive about that." He said, remembering how excited Lissa would get when a letter would come from Russia. The best decision that he made while in the academy was telling the princess to try to contact Rose, knowing how much those two were alike. Thinking of Rose, however, brought him back to his original thought. "Speaking of Rose, do you know where she is?"

"You know, I knew that Rose was happy when she started talking to Lissa. That is all she would read to Elena at night, were the letters that she received. She considered her a sister and they never even met in person. It is amazing how two people can connect so much with just simple letter-"

"Sonya, you are avoiding the question."

Sonya bit down on her lip before turning to look back at her cooking. Whenever something was going wrong, she would always find something to keep her hands busy. This way, her mind was not focused on what was bothering her. It was an easy way of telling when something was not going right in her mind.

She would also try to change the subject to keep people thinking.

"Remember when Rose admitted to us that she was pregnant? I do no think that I will ever forget that night. She was so scared to tell you that she would only confide in me. I knew that you needed to know, but sometimes she was so stubborn."

Even though Dimitri was not going to fall for her tricks, he could not help but think of that night. One night that would never leave his memory.

* * *

_Rose hands twitched nervously as she paced the living room. She was almost never in the Belikov house without Dimitri, but how could she bring him with her? They promised each other that they would never keep anything from each other. It was the biggest promise they said._

_Maybe soon, she will be able to tell him._

"_You know, this is one thing you cannot keep a secret forever. There will be signs that will point him towards the answer. Just give it a few months, he will know eventually."_

"_Don't you think I know that, Sonya?" Rose snapped, whipping around to face her. She went to her usual position; hands on her hips as she leaned slightly towards Sonya. "Do you think that I want to keep this from him? He is about to leave for a yearlong trip to the United States! I cannot add a child onto his plate before he leaves."_

_Sonya sighed as she stood up from her chair. Crossing the room in a few strides, her hands fell onto Rose's shoulder. She needed to calm her down as much as possible. Even though it is early in the pregnancy, it is not good to keep the stress up. Rose needed to stay calm and this was not helping in any way. "You will be fine. Dimitri will take this as the best news he has heard in a while. He does not want to leave to go to the academy, but at least he will have something to look forward to when he comes home."_

"_Think about Sonya. He will be leaving in about ten months." Rose pointed out, continuing her pacing. She held out her fingers out as she calculated the time frame that was coming up. "Dimitri will be on a plane to the academy one month after the baby is born. I cannot take care of a little child by myself for a whole year! They will need their father just as much as they will need me!"_

"_But you cannot just give it up, either. Dimitri would never allow that to happen, even if he was going away for a year. He has wanted a family ever since you met you three years ago. It was the only thing that he wanted and you can give it to him. Do you realize how happy you will make him when he finds out?"_

_And Rose wanted nothing more than Dimitri's happiness. Deep inside, she knew that this would make him truly happy, but there were many things that could do that. They have always dreamed of having a family together. To have a child that would grow up to be like them, but was this the time? _

_There would be plenty of time for starting a family after he got all of the guardian stuff out of the way. He knew, as soon as he started the necessary training, that it would put things on hold. They could not have a family if he was out protecting someone else's life while they stayed at home alone. He needed to be with them at all times, completely the family dream._

"_I would not give up the child to just anyone." Rose muttered. She already thought all of this out, planning it to the final step. The baby was going to have the best life possible, even if they could not be with their real parents at all times. "What if you adopted the baby? They would have a mother that would be able to give them the best life possible, instead of one that does not even know how to give motherly love."_

_That left Sonya speechless, which was something that did not happen a lot. She never expected Rose to say something like that, but it was clear she put a lot of thought into this already. Sonya, however, knew that this was not the best choice for her to make. "Rose, honey, you cannot do that. This child is yours and will stay with you. Dimitri would hurt us all to get his child back."_

"_I cannot be a mother, though."_

_It dawned on Sonya as soon as she said that thought. Of course this was the reason Rose was fighting with herself about the child. Bending down onto her knees to get at her level, she kept her gaze to make sure that her attention would not leave. "Rose Hathaway, you will be a wonderful mother. You do not need a mom of your own around to tell you how to raise a child. It something that you have within you when you have that little one in your arms._

"_Of course, this family will be around to help you out when Dimitri is at the academy, but you will not need it for long. This will be the most loved child in all of Russia because you are just a wonderful person. You give out love to all you care about and that is all it takes to raise a baby."_

_Rose broke away from Sonya's gaze, not wanting to fall to her words. Deep inside, she knew that it was true that she would be okay with her child, but how could she be certain about that? What if she failed completely being a mother? What if she could not protect the baby as much as it needs?_

"_I doubt that Dimitri would agree with that. He would want to be around for the entirety of the baby's life." She muttered after a few seconds, getting out of the kitchen chair. Her feet moved her towards the door of the kitchen, wanting to leave to go back to her own house. However, she turned to say one last thought to Sonya. "I will just need to keep thinking about this. Maybe a baby is just not right at this time."_

"_What?"_

_Rose whipped around as soon as a new voice came into the picture. She was met with brown eyes that were filled with shock and confusion. This was not the way that she wanted him to find out about. He needed to know from her in private and they needed to decide on what to do from there. Why did he have to come in right now? What was he doing here anyway?_

_She should have known he would have come, since it was his house._

"_Dimitri, just calm down some and let us exp-" Sonya started to cross the room to get to him, but his hand shot up to stop her in mid step. He was not in the mood to hear it from his sister, the one that would try to change the subject as much as possible. _

"_Rose, what were you just talking about?"_

"_I-I wasn't saying anything, Comrade." Rose muttered, going to pass him so she could get out of everything. "I was on my home, actually. So why don't we just talk about this at home. I do not want to bother your famil-"_

"_Rose!"_

"_I am pregnant, okay!" She snapped as she stood beside him. Her hands curled into fists as she casted her eyes to the ground. The emotions that she was pushing down the entire time she was talking to Sonya were starting to come out. Tears formed on the rims of her eyes, but she tried hard to keep them from falling down her cheek. "I did not want to tell you since you are leaving for the academy in about ten months! This is just not the time to bring a child into the world, so I was just thinking ahead."_

_Dimitri was still struck silent. The words that she was saying were fading into the background as the news sunk in. Rose was pregnant? They were finally starting the family that they have been dreaming about ever since they become serious? Could this really be happening?_

"_I understand if you do not want them, but I just needed someone else's opinion before giving it a finally decision."_

"_What are you talking about, Roza? You know how much we have wanted a baby and it is finally happening!" He muttered, turning to face her. His hands grasped onto the tops of her arms, wanting to keep her in place so he could get out what he wanted to say. "This is amazing and I do not want you to think otherwise!"_

_Rose's eyes filled with awe as she looked up to his gaze. "Are you sure? There is plenty of time to have a family when you get back." She said, but she could not get out another thought out. Dimitri's lips crushed down on hers, shutting her up automatically._

"_I am sure, Roza. I am sure."_

* * *

Dimitri's fist slammed down on the table, cutting off the flashback instantly. The sound his fist made woke up Elena, making her squirm in his arms, but his attention was solely on his sister. There was something that she was holding back and he was beyond frustrated about.

"Sonya! You are getting off the point!" He muttered through clenched teeth. Sonya cringed back from the gaze that he was giving her, seeing the anger flow through them clearly. "If you do not tell me what happened to Rose, then so help me, I will come over ther-"

"She was turned Strigoi, okay!"

Viktoria appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, causing everyone to turn their attention to her. She had her arms wrapped around her torso and the sobs were rocking through her as soon as she said that. It was something that she did not want to bring up anymore as it hurt her deeply.

"What did you say?" Dimitri said, crossing the room to stand in front of his little sister. One arm gripped her shoulder, shaking her softly as he began to get worried even more. "What the hell did you just say to me about Rose?"

"Strigoi attacked the village while you were gone. They came into your house while I was over with Rose to help with Elena. I managed to get Elena out, after much shouting from Rose to get her away from the danger, but she was not so lucky." Viktoria whispered as the tears crawled down her pale cheeks. The memories were too much for her to relive. "She was taken from them and we all thought she was dead until we received a letter from her."

"Show me the letter!"

Viktoria flinched a littler at his shouting, but she followed what he said. Reaching her into pocket, she pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. It was obvious that this letter has been folded and crumpled many times before. The family read over it a lot of times. Dimitri ripped it from her hands before handing over Elena to her. Opening up the letter, he took a few steps away from his sisters.

_Belikov Family,_

_Do not think that this is the last time that you will see me._

_I guess by now that you know that I have been taken by the Strigoi that attacked us about month ago. Do not worry. I am not dead. It is so much better than that; I have been awaken to my true form. I know that it sounds crazy to the mortals, but believe me that it is amazing._

_Even though I am like this now, I am not gone forever. I will make sure that I come back to take what is rightfully mine. You will never know when I might strike, but here is a word of advice. Be prepared for anything._

_Oh, and tell that dear little man of mine that I will be waiting for him if he decides to come looking for me. I have an offer that he will not be able to refuse._

_Sincerely,_

_Rosemarie Hathaway._

The letter fell from Dimitri's hand as soon as he read the last word.

* * *

Well here is the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it!

It is finally going to get into the plot that I have been planning, since it revealed the main point of the story. I know there are a lot of stories that are like this, but I will try to make this as different as possible. I have had this story idea in my head for a while, but I never thought that I would be able to write a Vampire Academy Fanfic. I feel like I am doing a good job, however.

Anyway, I will see you guys in the next update.

xoxo Alysha


	3. Don't Leave Me Here Alone

**Title: **Safe and Sound

**Rating: **T

**Genre: **Action, Drama, Horror, Romance, and Suspense.

**Summary: **All male guardians that have the training needed are being sent to the academy to help. Dimitri has always dreamed of being a guardian, so he is excited to jump at the opportunity. However, that means leaving behind the life he worked hard to obtain. He knows that she will be fine, since she can fight for herself, but some things are stronger than her.

* * *

**Don't Leave Me Here Alone**

* * *

"How could this have happened? How could someone, as weak as a repulsive Strigoi, take down Rose? What could have went wrong in their encounter?" Dimitri was trying to play out the entire scene in his mind, wondering how the battle between them went down. He knew, for a fact, that Rose was a fighter. She would not have gone quietly and without some deaths in her track. "How could they do this?"

Viktoria and Sonya exchanged a worried glance behind their brother's back, not wanting to make him feel any more concerned about the events that occurred while he was away. They knew that he would freak out about it; all of Russia could have seen that coming, but he needed to think of the task that was in front of him now. If came up with some master plan to get things back the way that he wanted them, then there would be one small piece left out.

And little Elena has already lost so much; it was not fair to her.

"Dimitri, you cannot question what happened so much." Sonya took the first step to try to bring their brother back to reality. It was a long shot, but they had to try now. "What happened, happened and there is nothing that you can do to change that. We all know that Rose is a strong person, but there was something out there that dragged her down. We all feel the lost of her. We cared so much, but we cannot keep wishing on the past.

"Rose would not want this and you know that more than anyone. Think of Elena and how much she needs you now that Rose is gone. You cannot abandon her, not now."

His attention snapped from gazing out of the small kitchen window to the small child that was hiding in Viktoria's shoulder. Small shakes were running through her body, signaling that she was crying due to the outbreak that her father had. Dimitri had scared her unintentionally and he did not want to do such a thing. It was the last thing that he wanted to happen, actually.

But he was being torn, even if that sounded bad.

How could he give up the one person that he was coming back to Russia for? He knew she was out there and she was going to come claim what was hers, which was their one little daughter. It might sound impossible, but he could stop it all from happening. One little hunt for Strigoi and all of their worries could be gone. He trained for this at the academy, so it would be a walk in the park.

Right?

Going out for the hunt would mean hunting down the mother of his child and the love of his life. Sure, it might sound drastic, but he knew that she was the one that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. One would say that he was love struck and that was perfectly fine with him.

So, would it really be possible to go out and shove a stake through her heart, bringing an end to her life? Even if her life had turned evil?

"I know what Rose would have wanted." Dimitri's voice came out a little more lifeless than he wanted. He crossed the room in three long strides, coming in front of his youngest sister. Without much of a warning, Elena was flipped into his arms, resting her head automatically onto his shoulder to calm down some more. "We have talked about this before, thinking ahead if anything would happen to either of us. We both thought that it was crazy at that time, but I guess it was a good idea to talk about it."

Viktoria took a hesitant step forward, not wanting to upset him more than he was already. "And what did she say?" She muttered, intrigued to know the answer as soon as he started to explain the story. However, she already had an idea of what he was going to say as an answer. "What are you going to do now?"

Dimitri looked down at his daughter as she gave a small yawn while her red eyes began to fade back to normal. It was going to be hard to leave her once again, but if he wanted to bring an end to the horror that was in her life, then he knew that it was for the best. Planting a small kiss on the top of her head, he met the gaze of his wondering sisters.

"I am going to have to kill Rosemarie."

The outbreak that he knew was coming happened within seconds.

"What?!" They both screamed at the same time, giving him both the same startled look. Their jaws fell open slightly and their eyes filled with nothing but shock. Sonya was the first one to compose herself enough to add onto her outbreak to get more answers. "How could you even think about that? Especially about Rose?"

"How can I deny her wishes?" Dimitri countered her, trying to stand his ground with the two of them. "If the same thing happened to the one that you love, would you do the same thing? Even if they asked you to kill them if they got turned to a rotten Strigoi?"

"That is just out of the question, though! You think you can go and kill the one person that you love just that easily? You are acting like it will be a piece of cake and that is just not normal!"

"And what am I supposed to do if she comes here to take Elena?" Dimitri shot at them to get them thinking about their side of the argument more. If he was going to plan this, he needed some of his family on his side so that he had someone to take care of Elena while he was gone. "I cannot let her come and take our child so that she can turn her later in life. I know that she already wants to change me, so I can play around with that request to get close to her."

The plans were forming in his head as soon as he read the last word of the letter. It would sound like a crazy plan that would never work, but how hard could it really be? Missions took place all the time at the academy and he was able to take part in a few of them. He would have to act like it was just another one of those missions and not think about who was going to be on the other side of his stake at one point.

His sisters both opened their mouths to object, but they second-guessed themselves. The words that he said to convince them to lean towards his idea began to work as they let them sink in. Could it really be that easy for him to end this nightmare that was placed around them? Sure, it meant killing Rose, but it would also save both Elena and Dimitri in the end.

It might be stupid and reckless, but it would work in the end.

"You see it my way then? It is the only way." Dimitri cut into their thoughts, making them look back at him. They did not respond him, neither of them wanting to fall for his plan first. "I need one of you to be with me just so I have someone to take care of Elena while I am gone. She needs to be protected in case Rose gets here before I make it to her."

No one made a sound at his reasoning; they just continued to stare at him in silence. Would they never see the reasoning that he is showing them?

"Please." The last thing he wanted to do was beg them to help him out. He thought they would want to help him, since they were related, but they were pushing him to this point. "I am asking you as your brother. I need your help so that I can put an end to this and give my daughter the life that she deserves. She does not need to be scared of the world and that fear will live as long as Rose is roaming the earth. Please, I need you more at this moment than I have ever had befo-"

"I will take care of Elena while you are gone."

Dimitri thought that Sonya would be the one sister that would see his point first, but it surprised him when Viktoria stepped forward to place her hand on Elena's back. She looked up at her brother with eyes filled with compassion. She understood what he needed to do and she did not want to hold him back anymore. If he thought that this was the best idea, then who was to tell him that it was wrong?

His arm wrapped around his youngest sister, bringing her closer to him. He leaned his head against the top of her head as he muttered a quiet thanks to her. It would take some time, but Dimitri knew that one of his sisters would believe him. They cared for him and Elena too much to pass by this and they would do anything in their power to keep them safe.

Even if that meant that they had to let their brother go on a hunt.

"This means a lot to me, Viktoria. Thank you so much for doing this to me." He said before pulling away from the hug. "I should start getting ready so I can leave in the morning. The sooner that I get going, the sooner I can come back here to be with Elena. She does not need both of her parents gone from her life for a long period of time."

As he explained his plan to Viktoria, he saw from the corner of his eye that Sonya backed out of the room silently. She did not say anything about her opinion of the situation, but he knew she would come around at some point. Out of all the siblings, Sonya was never one to hold a grudge against someone that she cared about. It would be forgotten about as soon as he was gone.

"Well, I can get Elena ready for bed as you prepar-"

"No, I will put her to bed." Dimitri automatically interrupted as soon as she began her thought. He started to make his way out of the kitchen, heading to the familiar room at the end of the hallway. "It has been too long to turn the job over to one of you. I will put my daughter to bed and then head off to sleep myself. If you are awake when I leave, I will see you then."

"And if I am not?"

He turned his head to look over his shoulder at his sister. Her small hands were folded in front of her stomach and her fingers twitched a little bit as she let the thoughts sink in. This was the position she went into when something wrong was happening and she did not know what to do to handle it. She was very predictable in that way, even if she says she has grown up a lot over the last year.

She did not know how to deal with losing her brother once again. Her dream, for many years, was to have her family complete under one roof. When Dimitri went away from a year, she put on a brave face to keep others from knowing what she was truly thinking. Now that he was leaving again, and she already lost Rose, Viktoria did not know how to deal with the pieces of her family falling from her grasp.

It was a tragic thing to live through, especially at the age of sixteen.

"Then I will be back before you even realize. It should not take me that long to track her down and kill her. I know Rose well enough that I already have an idea of where she would head to." Dimitri explained to her, turning to face her once more. She deserved a face-to-face goodbye like this; it is the least that he could do for her. She also deserved to know the truth. "And if I do not return within a reasonable amount of time, then you know what to do with Elena. She will be loved more than any other child in Russia with this family."

"Please do not think that way, Dimka. I do not want you to think that way." Viktoria muttered through the tears that were streaming down her pale cheeks. She was losing her composure the longer that he stood here to explain it to her and it was breaking his heart. "I just want you to come home safe."

"And I will try my best to do that." Dimitri said before backing out of the room to head off to bed. Tomorrow would be a long day. "But you know as well as I do that we have to think of all the possibilities. That is what is saving Rose from being a Strigoi for the rest of her life."

* * *

_Her silhouette was barely visible through the moonlight, but he could clearly tell that she was the one that he was looking for. The waist length hair was blowing behind her back in the wind, carving out wings in her back and the slight illumination of her eyes were shining through the darkness. One would say that she was beautiful, but Dimitri knew better._

"_Hello, Rosemarie. It has been too long."_

_A small grin formed on her blood red lips as his words traveled to her. Her feet started to move under her, bringing herself closer to him. The way that she moved was almost ghost like. If he was not watching her feet hit the ground, then he would believe that she was gliding towards him in midair. The changes that this life brought to her were amazing, but deadly at the same time._

_With every step that she took, Dimitri took a smaller one back. He did not have any control over it; it was almost like an instinct took over him when he comes into contact with a Strigoi. The training that he went through at the academy was starting to shine through, even though he did not want to start a battle in the beginning._

_He needed to talk to her, even if it was just for a few seconds._

"_Well, it did not take you long to find me, but I figured that it would not. You know me better than I know myself, so I picked an easy place to hide until you came." Her arms spread out to her sides, showing off their location for the first time. "Do you like it? I was hoping you would. All I care about is your approval, you know."_

_Dimitri did not let her distract him from what was really going on in front of him. If he allowed himself to take even the smallest glance around at his surroundings, then it would give her the perfect chance to attack. He would not allow her to take the first step, not during this fight._

"_Rose, you know why I am here and you know that I do not care about the place that you picked to hide yourself until I came. I need to put an end to this once and for all so you do not come and harm my family."_

"_I think you mean _our _family, my dear Dimitri. I know you did not forget that I am the one who gave birth to our little girl. I have just as much right to have her as you do."_

_Dimitri took a few quick steps towards her as soon as those words left her mouth. "No you do not! I will not allow you to take Elena so you can turn her into a Strigoi later on in life!"_

_Rose's smiled grew wider as she reached her arm behind her back, almost like she was grabbing something. "Well, I do not think you have much of a choice at this point. You see," She pulled out a small body from behind her back. "I already have my hands on her and she does not want to leave her mother again. Do you sweetie?"_

_Elena, who looked like she was about six years old now, looked up at her mother's face when she started talking. When she got a good look at her face, her eyes started to grow wide with fear. The red-rimmed eyes were not usual for Rose and Elena was afraid of them. Rose, however, already had a plan up her sleeve._

_Bending down on her knees, she placed her hand onto Elena's cheek. She began to whisper soft words that Dimitri could not make out, but he knew that it was going to turn this into a bad situation. A smile began to form on Elena's face and he jumped into action to put a stop to it._

_He pushed his feet off the ground and fell into a sprint to make it over to his daughter before something terrible happened. Reaching into his back pocket, he started to slip out his silver stake that was brought especially for Rose's heart. He made it a few steps before a small voice caused him to skid to a stop._

"_Daddy, no! You cannot hurt Mommy!"_

_Elena stepped in front of Rose, her tiny arms spread out to her sides. The smile was gone and she had the scared expression back on her face. This time, however, it was not directed at Rose. It was directed towards Dimitri, as he was scaring her for trying to attack her own mother._

"_She is not dangerous! You need to see that!" Elena screamed again as her body began to shake a little bit due to her fear. "Mommy is just here so that we can be a family again! She promised me that we would all be able to live happily ever after forever! Don't you want that, Daddy?"_

_Dimitri's eyes shot up to meet Rose's as she smiled due to her plan succeeding. She had this planned since the moment she sent the letter to him. This was going to work out the way that she wanted it to, no matter what Dimitri tried to do to stop it._

_He was fighting a lost battle and he could not change the outcome._

"_Yes Dimitri, my dear, you should listen to our daughter. She, after all, gained your intelligence." Rose said as she bent down behind Elena. Her hands snaked onto her shoulders as she rested her chin on the small girl's shoulder. A toothy grin formed onto her lips, showing off her fangs. "You do want to live happily ever after, right?"_

_Rose did not give him the chance to answer as she opened her mouth wider. Without hesitation, her fangs sunk deep into the flesh of Elena's neck. The little girl did not even flinch as the impact came, she only allowed herself to continue smiling. It was like this was the best thing to ever happen to her._

"_Rose, no!"_

_But it was too late._

_Elena's small body fell to the ground as the blood was completely drained from her body. The small puncture wounds were clearly visible on her neck, but there was no blood coming from them. She was drained, which means she would turn into a Strigoi within a matter of minutes._

_Dimitri's face was frozen as he stared down at his daughter's peaceful face. Even after the events that happened, the smile never left her small mouth. She was willing to turn into a monster just like her mother._

"_It is your turn, my dear."_

_His eyes snapped back up to the sound of Rose's voice. She simple stepped over Elena's body to come closer to him._

_He wanted to run and get away from the monster that took over his Rose, but he could not get his feet to move. The look in Rose's eyes kept him still as she grew closer. Her small hands reached out to him, landing firmly on his chest. His shirt was bundled up into her hands as she pulled him closer to her face._

"_There is no use in fighting. It will be over soon and we can be a complete family once more." She muttered, her fangs came out of her mouth to lay over her lips. There was still a trace of blood left on her lips and it dripped onto her chin. The scene in front of him should have disgusted him, but he found himself leaning closer to her waiting lips. "It is what we all want."_

_As their faces grew closer, she pushed his head to the side with a flick of her fingers. Getting up onto her toes, she dug her fangs deep into the side of his neck. A small gasp of pain slipped through his mouth as he began to falter back a little bit. The pain was excruciating, but it sent chills up his spine._

_He wanted it to continue._

_He wanted nothing more than to have the feeling of her fangs on his ski-_

* * *

"Dada!"

Dimitri's body jolted awake as he stared up at the dark ceiling. A sold sweat was forming on the back of his neck and his breathing was ragged. His hand automatically went to his neck, making sure that what he just experienced was a dream. When he pulled his hand away, there was nothing there. No blood, nothing.

The sight of his clean hand calmed him down some as he tried to close his eyes once more.

"Dada!"

As soon as the voice rang once more, Dimitri's feet were on the ground within seconds. It only took him three long strides to get out of his room and to the small nursery across the hallway. He opened the door slowly, seeing Elena standing up in her crib, gripping the edges with tears in her eyes.

He composed himself a little more before making his way to her crib. Her hands reached up towards him when he entered the room and he did not waste a second bringing her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to bring her father as close as she possible could.

"It is okay, Elena." He muttered to her as he ran his hand over her hair a few times. He leaned the side of his head against the top of hers as he calmed her down. "Everything will be all right very soon. There is no need to worry anymore."

With the dream still fresh in his mind, he was more determined to end the nightmare that was looming over his family's head. He needed to keep Elena safe from her own mother so that she would not turn into an evil monster as well. There was no way that he was going to let this dream come true.

Rose could be out there now, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. She was going to be very determined to get Elena back so that her Strigoi army could be built. She was known for getting her way, but Dimitri needed to put a stop to it so that Elena would stay safe and human. There was no way that anymore of his loved ones were going to turn into creatures of the night.

He already lost the love of his life; there was no way that he could lose his only daughter as well. It was the one thing keeping him sane throughout this entire time. If she were gone, then there would be nothing to keep him here without Rose. However, he had something to keep fighting for.

"I will make sure nothing harms you anymore. I promise you that."

* * *

Here you go, the next chapter!

I actually love this chapter, it has to be my favorite one so far. The real adventure is going to start and I am excited to get the story rolling.

I do not intend for this story to be long, which is why Dimitri is already leaving to hunt Rose. If it was going to be longer, than this chapter would have come a lot later.

I hope that you enjoyed this one and will leave a very amazing review for me to read!

xoxo Alysha


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